KEY POINTS:
A tourist has died after a rafting adventure near Rotorua turned to tragedy.
The 66-year-old man is believed to have suffered a heart attack after being thrown from a raft on the Kaituna River.
Madhu Shah, understood to be from Mumbai in India, died in Rotorua Hospital on Thursday.
Detective Sergeant John Wilson said more information would be gained after a post-mortem examination had been carried out.
It is understood Mr Shah had the heart attack after the tumble at Tutea Falls.
He was put back into the raft after a short time in the water but collapsed about 10 minutes later.
The raft was guided by a man working for local rafting company Kaitiaki Adventures.
A nurse who was on the river at the time performed CPR on Mr Shah with staff from Kaitiaki Adventures, before St John paramedics took him to Rotorua Hospital.
Tutea Falls is the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world, at 7m high.
Kaitiaki Adventures co-owner Jason Wright said his sympathy went out to the Shah family.
"We voluntarily suspended operations for the day and have met with Maritime New Zealand to explain what happened. We are all shaken by his death."
Mr Wright said rafting could be dangerous but his customers understood the risks.
"There was nothing we could do, the ambulance guys told us he had a heart attack.
"I'm super proud of all the people who tried to help him - my guides, the nurse and St John."
Members of the New Zealand Rafting Association were unavailable for comment and other rafting companies operating on the river refused to comment.
Rotorua Indian Association president Harry Chhagan said members had been with Mr Shah's family, offering support and comfort.
"They are obviously very sad and shocked by his tragic death. At the moment we are trying to arrange for his body to be taken back home to India."
Mr Chhagan said Mr Shah was with his wife, son, daughter, son-in-law and friends when the accident occurred.
Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson said preliminary inquiries were under way.
The death was the third on the Kaituna River since August.
- DAILY POST
